jtt/o.¥ifl 


1228 


UNIV.  OF  FL  L!g 
DOCUMENTS  DtPT 


U.S.  DEPOSITORY 


Issued  November  8, 1909. 


United  States  Department  of  Agriculture, 

OFFICE  OF  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS— Circular  9I. 
A.  C.  True,  Director. 


SECONDARY  EDUCATION  IN  AGRICULTURE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES." 

I  propose  first  to  outline  briefly  the  present  status  of  secondary 
education  in  agriculture  in  the  United  States.  This  matter  has  been 
most  recently  summed  up  in  Circular  No.  83  of  the  Office  of  Experi- 
ment Stations.  That  summary  represents  the  condition  of  things 
up  to  about  the  beginning  of  the  year  1909.  It  is  difficult  now  to 
keep  pace  with  the  spread  of  the  movement  for  secondary  instruction 
in  agriculture  in  this  country.  The  introduction  of  such  instruction 
into  the  secondary  schools  is  now  proceeding  so  rapidly  and  so  widely 
that  the  Office  of  Experiment  Stations  is  no  longer  able  to  keep  a 
complete  current  record  of  the  progress.  There  was  a  time  when  we 
felt  that  we  knew  substantially  all  the  institutions  that  were  giving 
secondary  instruction  in  agriculture.  Now  we  are  sure  we  do  not. 
In  speaking  of  the  matter,  therefore,  I  may  make  some  statements 
which  would  seem  to  members  of  this  association  inadequate,  and  I 
hope  they  will  undertake  to  supplement  the  information  that  I  have 
to  give  as  far  as  the  different  States  are  concerned. 
"  The  summing  up  of  the  progress  of  agricultural  education  for  the 
fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  1909,  has  not  yet  been  made,  but  a  sum- 
mary prepared  in  the  Office  of  Experiment  Stations  in  May,  1909, 
showed  the  following  conditions  regarding  the  progress  of  secondary 
education  in  agriculture: 

Twelve  years  ago,  when  Secretary  Wilson  came  to  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture,  there  were  but  10  agricultural 
high  schools  in  the  country,  and  the  teaching  of  agriculture  in  normal 
schools  or  in  public  elementary  Bchoolfl  had  merely  begun.     To-day 

a  Address  of  A.  C.  True,  Director  Office  of  Experiment  Stations,  before  the  Asso- 
ciation of  American  Agricultural  Colleges  and  Experiment    Stations  at   Portland, 
Oreg.,  August  18,  1909,  and  adopted  by  the  association  as  containing  a  statement  of 
principles  which  it  approves  regarding  secondary  education  in  agriculture. 
12113— Cir.  91—09 


there  are  60  agricultural  high  schools,  or  definitely  secondary  agricul- 
tural courses  in  colleges;  346  public  high  schools  teaching  agriculture; 
and  119  state  or  county  normal  schools  and  16  agricultural  colleges 
training  young  men  and  women  to  teach  agriculture.  In  addition 
to  these  there  are  a  number  of  private  institutions  giving  secondary 
instruction  in  agriculture,  and  16  institutions  offering  correspondence 
courses  or  reading  courses  which  are  practically  of  secondary  grade, 
making  in  all  about  500  institutions  giving  secondary  instruction  in 
agriculture. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  discussion  these  institutions  may  be  clas- 
sified as  follows: 

(1)  The  agricultural  colleges,  where  the  instruction  is  given  through 
definitely  organized  agricultural  high  schools,  as  in  Minnesota,  or 
through  short  or  special  courses  of  different  kinds.  The  agricultural 
colleges  as  a  body  are  giving  much  secondary  instruction  in  agricul- 
ture. In  some  cases  this  is  definitely  organized  as  such,  and  in  other 
cases  it  is  given  under  a  variety  of  names.  (2)  Agricultural  high 
schools  in  congressional  or  other  large  districts,  as  in  Minnesota  and 
Alabama.  (3)  County  agricultural  high  schools,  as  in  Michigan  and 
Wisconsin.  (4)  State  or  county  normal  schools.  (5)  Ordinary 
high  schools  either  in  cities,  townships,  or  counties.  (6)  Private  col- 
leges and  schools.     (7)  Correspondence  schools. 

Looking  now  a  little  more  closely  at  some  of  the  work  under  these 
different  heads,  we  may  say  that  the  first  special  agricultural  high 
school  organized  in  connection  with  a  college  was  the  Minnesota 
School  of  Agriculture,  established  in  1888.  Now  similar  schools  or 
short  courses  are  maintained  in  connection  with  colleges  of  agriculture 
in  Alabama,  Arkansas,  California,  Colorado,  Connecticut,  Delaware, 
Florida,  Idaho,  Kentucky,  Louisiana,  Maine,  Maryland,  New  Hamp- 
shire, New  Jersey,  New  Mexico,  North  Dakota,  Ohio,  Oklahoma, 
Oregon,  Pennsylvania,  Porto  Rico,  Rhode  Island,  South  Dakota, 
Texas,  Utah,  Virginia,  Washington,  West  Virginia,  Wisconsin,  and 
Wyoming.  Whether  that  is  a  complete  list  or  not,  it  shows  quite  a 
wide  and  general  diffusion  of  secondary  instruction  through  the  agri- 
cultural colleges  throughout  the  country. 

Of  the  separate  agricultural  high  schools  receiving  state  aid  there 
are,  first,  the  congressional-district  agricultural  high  schools.  These 
were  established  first  in  Alabama,  and  this  State  now  has  nine  such 
schools.  Each  of  these  schools  has  a  branch  experiment  station  con- 
nected with  it,  is  provided  with  land  for  experimental  and  other  pur- 
poses, receives  an  annual  appropriation  of  $4,500  from  the  State  for 
maintenance,  and  has  a  considerable  equipment  of  buildings,  animals, 
and  machinery.  The  course  of  study  extends  over  four  years  and 
corresponds  in  grade  to  that  of  other  high  schools  in  this  State. 

[Cir  91] 


3 

Georgia  has  eleven  of  these  district  agricultural  schools,  which  are 
supported  from  the  proceeds  of  the  state  oil  and  fertilizer  inspection 
fees,  amounting  to  about  $7,500  annually  for  each  school,  and  they  are 
provided  with  land,  buildings,  equipment,  and  other  facilities  through 
local  contribute  n-.  Each  school  has  not  less  than  200  acres  of  land. 
The  course  of  study  in  these  schools  extends  over  four  years  and  in- 
cludes really  two  years  of  grammar-school  or  grade-school  work  and 
two  years  of  high-school  work.  Other  States  having  similar  schools 
are  California,  Minnesota,  New  York,  and  Oklahoma.  Arkansas  has 
made  definite  provision  for  four  such  schools. 

The  county  agricultural  schools  were  first  established  in  Wisconsin 
in  1902.  These  schools  have  been  equipped  at  the  expense  of  the 
counties  where  they  are  located,  but  the  State  aids  each  school  to  the 
extent  of  $4,000  a  year,  to  be  applied  to  the  running  expenses.  The 
course  of  study  in  each  school  extends  over  two  years  and  is  of  quite 
a  practical  character,  including  agriculture,  wood  working,  iron  work- 
ing, and  domestic  science,  besides  local  United  States  history,  civil 
government,  and  commercial  arithmetic.  County  agricultural  schools 
are  also  found  in  Maryland,  Michigan,  and  Mississippi. 

The  statistics  for  the  normal  schools  have  already  been  given,  show- 
ing that  over  100  normal  schools  in  the  country  are  giving  instruction 
in  agriculture.  This  instruction  is  quite  different  in  character  in 
different  schools.  In  some  cases  there  is  a  regular  course  by  a  special 
instructor  who  is  a  graduate  of  an  agricultural  college.  In  other 
cases  the  teaching  of  agriculture  has  been  taken  up  by  the  science 
teacher. 

In  ordinary  high  schools,  of  which  300  or  400  are  now  giving  some 
instruction  in  agriculture,  the  instruction  in  that  subject  is  also  quite 
varied.  In  some  cases,  as  in  Louisiana,  Maryland,  Minnesota,  and 
Virginia,  the  high  schools  have  been  reorganized  with  reference  to 
making  the  agricultural  instruction  a  prominent  feature  of  the  course, 
but  as  a  general  rule  so  far  the  instruction  has  been  treated  simply  as 
an  additional  feature  and  more  or  less  emphasis  placed  upon  it  accord- 
ing to  the  amount  of  interest  it  has  awakened.  Only  in  a  compara- 
tively few  cases  yet  are  there  specially  trained  teachers  of  agriculture 
in  the  high  schools. 

Among  the  private  institutions  that  are  giving  special  attention  to 
agriculture  may  be  mentioned  the  National  Farm  School  at  Doyles- 
town,  Pa. ;  the  Mount  Hermon  School  at  Northfield,  Mass. ;  the  Smith 
Agricultural  School  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  which  has  recently  been 
organized;  and  the  Winona  Agricultural  and  Technical  Institute  at 
Winona  Lake,  Ind.  In  all  of  these  institutions  and  in  some  others 
special  attention  is  being  given  to  secondary  instruction  in  agriculture 
and  the  courses  are  quite  elaborately  laid  out  and  organized. 

£Cir.  81] 


This  movement  is  also  reaching  the  girls  in  a  special  way.  In  the 
ordinary  high  schools  I  judge  the  courses  in  agriculture  are  open  to 
the  girls  as  well  as  to  the  boys  if  they  choose  to  take  them,  but  in  a 
number  of  the  special  schools  some  definite  attention  is  being  given 
to  the  special  requirements  of  women  and  girls  for  secondary  instruc- 
tion, and  that  movement  is  affecting  not  only  public  institutions,  like 
the  schools  in  Minnesota,  for  example,  but  reaching  out  to  the  private 
institutions.  Thus  we  have,  for  example,  a  school  of  horticulture  and 
landscape  gardening  for  women  at  Groton,  Mass.;  a  course  in  horti- 
culture at  Wellesley  College,  and  courses  in  horticulture  and  agri- 
culture in  women's  colleges  of  industrial  arts  at  Milledgeville,  Ga.; 
Montevallo,  Ala.;  Rock  Hill,  S.  C;  and  Denton,  Tex.,  as  showing  a 
little  of  the  breadth  of  this  movement  in  different  sections  of  the 
country. 

In  a  general  way,  though  very  inadequately,  I  have  stated  the 
present  scope  of  instruction  in  agriculture  in  secondary  schools  in 
this  country.  It  must  be  said  that  the  movement  is  still  in  an 
experimental  stage,  and  the  most  encouraging  thing  about  it  now  is 
that  we  have  a  sufficient  number  of  experiments  in  this  kind  of  educa- 
tion in  progress  so  that  we  shall  hope  to  have  some  pretty  definite 
results  worked  out  from  experience  within  a  comparatively  short 
time.  I  think  we  should  all  agree  that  it  is  now  too  early  to  say 
what  the  American  system  of  secondary  education  in  agriculture 
will  ultimately  be.  From  the  study  which  I  have  been  able  to  make 
of  this  subject,  I  am  inclined  to  sum  up  the  matter  from  a  somewhat 
ideal  point  of  view  in  the  following  statement: 

(1)  Agriculture,  including  horticulture  and  forestry  (and  it  is  well  to 
bear  in  mind  that  where  I  use  the  term  agriculture  I  would  use  it  in  the 
ordinary  sense  to  include  the  whole  subject),  should  be  a  regular 
part  of  public  secondary  education;  (2)  the  unity  of  the  educational 
system  should  be  maintained,  but  there  should  be  sufficient  elasticity 
of  curricula  to  meet  the  various  needs  of  the  people;  (3)  the  standard 
curriculum  of  secondary  schools  having  agricultural  courses  should 
conform  in  a  general  way  to  that  adopted  for  the  general  school 
system  of  the  State;  (4)  the  standard  agricultural  courses,  whether 
in  the  ordinary  high  schools  or  in  special  schools,  should  not  be 
narrowly  vocational,  but  should  aim  to  fit  the  pupils  for  life  as  pro- 
gressive, broad-minded,  and  intelligent  men  and  women,  as  well  as 
good  farmers  and  horticulturists;  (5)  the  standard  courses  in  agricul- 
tural secondary  schools  should  be  so  organized  as  to  form  a  natural 
and  proper  preparation  for  entrance  to  agricultural  colleges. 

The  conditions  of  entrance  requirements  to  colleges  are,  in  my  judg- 
ment, far  from  satisfactory.  It  is  not  likely  that  we  have  reached  the 
ultimate  plan  for  the  preparation  of  the  great  mass  of  students  who 

[Cir.  91] 


in  the  future  will  desire  college  courses.  It  seems  certain  that  when 
the  so-called  vocational  subjects  are  properly  organized  and  taught 
in  the  secondary  schools  they  will  be  generally  recognized  as  having 
much  pedagogical  value.  This  is  especially  true  of  agriculture,  which 
is  a  subject  embracing  much  of  general  human  interest.  Even 
under  present  conditions  the  agricultural  colleges  would  do  well  to 
give  credit  in  their  entrance  requirements  for  agricultural  subjects 
properly  taught  in  secondary  schools. 

The  agricultural  college  should  have  a  definite  legal  relation  to  our 
public  school  system,  and  especially  to  the  courses  or  schools  of  agri- 
culture of  secondary  and  elementary  grades.  By  this  I  mean  that 
the  state  legislatures  should  take  definite  action  recognizing  that 
agricultural  colleges  have  a  definite  function  to  aid  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  proper  system  of  secondary  instruction  in  agriculture,  and 
help  the  secondary  schools  in  that  work. 

One  difficulty  now  in  the  progress  of  this  movement  is  that  in 
quite  a  number  of  States  the  legislation  is  such  that  the  agricultural 
colleges,  if  they  take  any  part  in  it,  have  to  "butt  in."  The  whole 
matter  of  secondary  education  is  in  many  States  intrusted  to  the 
state  department  of  education,  as  far  as  the  State  deals  with  the 
matter.  I  think  that  ought  to  be  remedied.  It  may  be  said  that 
that  is  only  part  of  a  wider  thing.  I  do  not  believe  that  we  have 
yet  in  this  country  considered  definitely  enough  the  proper  relation 
of  our  universities  and  colleges  to  the  more  elementary  education. 
These  higher  institutions  in  many  States  yet  stand  too  much  apart 
from  our  general  system  of  education.  It  is  very  desirable,  it  seems 
to  me,  that  they  should  be  recognized  by  statute  everywhere  as  an 
essential  part  of  our  system  of  public  education.  And  while  that 
general  movement  is  proceeding  the  friends  of  agricultural  education 
should  urge  that  the  agricultural  colleges  should  have  a  definite  part 
in  the  organization  and  maintenance  of  systems  of  agricultural 
education  in  public  schools. 

Agricultural  colleges  will  have  to  do  secondary  work  to  a  consider- 
able extent  for  some  time  to  come.  We  can  not,  in  my  judgment, 
jump  immediately  in  all  our  agricultural  colleges  to  a  state  of  things 
where  all  the  secondary  work  is  excluded.  This  should,  however, 
be  definitely  organized  as  separate  and  distinct  from  the  college  work. 
The  aim  should  be  to  have  all  secondary  work  relegated  to  secondary 
schools,  entirely  separate  from  the  colleges,  when  such  schools  are 
efficiently  organized  with  reference  to  instruction  in  agriculture. 

Agriculture  should  be  generally  introduced  into  the  ordinary  high 
schools.  There  should  also  be  a  limited  number  of  special  agricul- 
tural high  schools  in  the  different  States.  These  should  be  so  limited 
in  number  that  they  will  be  organized  with  reference  to  large  districts. 

[Clr.  91] 


I  do  not  believe  it  is  either  necessary  or  desirable  to  organize  such 
schools  with  the  county  as  the  unit.  Experience  so  far  points  to  the 
fact  that  the  county  is  too  small  a  unit  for  the  proper  equipment  and 
maintenance  of  a  thoroughgoing  agricultural  high  school.  These 
special  schools  should  have  a  relatively  large  agricultural  faculty  and 
an  adequate  equipment,  so  that  students  going  to  them  will  not  only 
have  offered  to  them  a  standard  course  of  high  school  or  secondary 
grade,  but  will  also  have  opportunity  to  specialize  to  a  certain  extent 
along  different  agricultural  lines.  I  believe  that  such  schools  are 
needed,  because  they  will  in  a  way  set  the  pace  for  secondary  educa- 
tion in  agriculture,  and  will  help  rather  than  hinder  the  general 
introduction  of  agriculture  into  the  ordinary  high  schools.  Besides 
serving  more  general  purposes,  they  will  attract  a  good  many  of  the 
more  mature  students,  who  are  not  ready  or  financially  able  to  go 
to  college,  but  desire  to  go  somewhere  to  get  some  definite  instruction 
in  agriculture,  and  who  are  really  too  old  to  feel  comfortable  in  the 
ordinary  high  school.  These  schools  will  also  aid  in  the  preparation 
of  teachers  and  school  officers  for  the  rural  schools ;  so  that  in  a  way 
these  special  agricultural  schools  will  more  fully  meet  the  need  which 
is  now  being  met  to  a  limited  extent  by  the  special  and  short  courses 
in  the  agricultural  colleges. 

In  speaking  of  this  subject,  we  must,  of  course,  all  the  time  remember 
the  great  extent  which  this  movement  will  have  when  once  it  is  in 
complete  operation.  It  is  a  comparatively  easy  matter  now  for  the 
colleges  to  take  care  of  this  short-course  work  and  a  considerable 
amount  of  secondary  work,  because  the  number  of  students  so  far 
has  been  comparatively  limited  in  each  State.  But  as  we  approach 
the  time  when  we  are  to  have  half  a  million  students  in  agriculture 
in  secondary  schools  it  is  going  to  be  a  very  different  proposition. 
In  the  near  future  the  colleges  will  have  all  they  can  do  to  take  care 
of  the  students  in  regular  college  courses  in  agriculture.  The  special 
agricultural  schools  will  fill  a  great  need  by  attracting  the  more 
mature  students  who  would  not  go  to  the  ordinary  high  schools,  and 
the  ordinary  high  schools  will  have  plenty  of  agricultural  students  of 
proper  high-school  age. 

As  I  said,  I  believe  the  standard  courses  in  these  special  agricultural 
schools  should  not  be  narrowly  vocational,  but  should  conform,  in  a 
general  way,  to  the  general  standard  for  the  high-school  system  in 
the  State,  and  they  should  be  organized  so  as  to  connect  them  defi- 
nitely with  the  general  educational  system  of  the  State.  To  do  this 
it  will  probably  be  found  necessary  in  the  case  of  schools  that  have 
shortened  the  school  year  to  twenty-four  weeks  of  six  days  each, 
instead  of  thirty-six  weeks  of  five  days  each,  to  add  another  year  to 
the  standard  course,  making  it  five  years  instead  of  four.     But  it 

ICir.  91] 


would  be  desirable  that  besides  the  standard  courses  which  would  pre- 
pare the  student  for  college  or  for  life,  as  the  case  might  be,  such 
schools  should  have  shorter  courses  more  purely  vocational.  That 
has  been  found  necessary  and  desirable  with  reference  to  the  tech- 
nical schools  of  secondary  grade  in  the  cities.  Our  people  have  de- 
manded, as  a  rule,  that  such  schools  be  made  real  high  schools  and 
have  courses  generally  equivalent  to  those  of  the  ordinary  high 
schools.  But  along  with  these  standard  courses  it  has  been  found 
an  advantage  to  have  short  courses  in  which  the  student  gives  a  large 
share  of  his  time  to  vocational  work. 

Some  time  ago  I  was  asked  by  an  association  of  horticulturists  to 
take  part  with  a  committee  in  considering  the  matter  of  special  in- 
struction in  horticulture.  In  connection  with  the  work  of  that  com- 
mittee there  was  prepared  the  syllabus  of  a  four-year  secondary  course 
in  horticulture,  which  was  thought  to  be  appropriate  to  the  special 
agricultural  high  schools  in  which  horticulture  would  be  a  prominent 
subject.  I  have  contemplated  preparing  the  same  kind  of  an  outline 
for  a  course  in  agriculture,  but  I  have  not  had  the  time  to  do  that. 
If  I  may  tax  the  patience  of  the  association  a  little  further,  I  would 
like  to  call  attention  to  the  principal  features  of  this  four-year  course 
in  horticulture,  and  have  it  borne  in  mind  all  the  time  that  the 
same  plan,  in  my  judgment,  might  be  adapted  to  a  four-year  course 
in  what  we  ordinarily  call  "  agriculture,"  as  distinguished  from  hor- 
ticulture. 


Syllabus  of  a  four-year  secondary  course  in  horticulture. 

REQUIRED  SUBJECTS. 


Subjects. 

Units.a 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours.6 

First 
year. 

Second 
year. 

Third 
year. 

Fourth 
year. 

English 

3 

1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
4 
2 

5 
5 

5 

3 

2 

540 
180 
180 
180 
180 
180 
360 
720 
360 

5 

2 

3 

5 

5 

5 

5 
5 

5 
5 
5 

Horticulture 

5 

5 

Total 

2,880 

1 

a  A  unit  consists  of  180  hours,  i.  e.,  5  hours  a  week  for  36  weeks. 

b  Throughout  this  syllabus  recitation  periods  of  45  minutes  are  designated  as  "hours."  In  laboratory 
practice,  demonstrations,  drawing,  bookkeeping,  surveying,  and  horticultural  practice  an  hor.r  is  a  double 
period  or  90  minutes. 

[Cir.  91] 


8 

Syllabus  of  a  four-year  secondary  course  in  horticulture — Continued. 

ELECTIVE  SUBJECTS. 


Subjects. 

Units. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

Drawing 

Vs 

% 
1 
1 

1  hour  1  year 

36 
36 
72 
90 
144 
180 

180 

Bookkeeping 

do 

Civics 

2  hours  1  year 

Solid  geometry 

5  hours  Yi  year 

Plain  trigonometry  and  surveying. 

French  or  German,  horticultural 
reading. 

Botany,  chemistry,  or  physics 

Horticulture  or  elementary  for- 
estry, a 

2  hours  2  years 

5  hours  1  year 

do = 

1  to  5  hours  third  and  fourth 
years. 

a  These  are  in  addition  to  the  720  hours  of  required  subjects  in  horticulture  and  are  offered  to  permit 
specialization  in  some  branch  of  horticulture  by  students  not  intending  to  take  a  college  course  in 
horticulture. 

Hours  devoted  to  subjects  included  under  M  Horticulture' "  in  the  course  of  study. 

REQUIRED  SUBJECTS  FOR   ALL  STUDENTS  IN  HORTICULTURE. 


Subjects. 

Units. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

First 
year. 

Second 

year. 

Third 
year. 

Fourth 
year. 

Principles  of  agriculture 

Propagation  and  breeding 

Greenhouse  construction  and 

2/5 

>E 

2/s 

«/• 

Vi 

v« 

125 

2 
2 

72 
108 

36 

72 
72 
36 
36 
36 

252 

1 

1 

Economic  entomology 

..... 

2 
1 

1 

Horticultural  machinery 

Sprays  and  spraying 

1 

Economics  of  horticulture 

Subjects  to  be  added  from  sub- 
joined list  A 

1 

4 

3 

Total 

720 

A.— SUBJECTS  FROM  WHICH  ELECTION  MUST  BE  MADE  TO  MAKE  UP  THE  REQUIRED 
720  HOURS  IN  HORTICULTURE. 


Subjects. 


Pomology 

Olericulture 

Floriculture 

Landscaping 

Agricultural  engineering. 


Hours  per  week. 


Third 
year. 


Fourth 
year. 


Total 
hours. 


72  or  144 
72  or  144 
72  or  144 
36  or  108 
72 


Note.— From  these  subjects  3( 
the  course  in  horticulture,  page  7. 

[Cir.  91] 


to  180  hours  may  also  be  selected  as  part  of  the  electives  provided  for  in 


9 


Syllabus  of  a  two-year  secondary  course  in  horticulture. 


Subjects. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

First 
year. 

Second 
year. 

English 

5 

2 
2 

252 
72 
36 
180 
180 
720 

Algebra 

1 
5 

Botany 

Chemistry 

5 
11 

9 

Total: 

1,440 

A  FOUR-YEAR  SECONDARY  COURSE  IN  AGRICULTURE. 

Since  the  above  address  was  given  a  secondary  course  in  agricul- 
ture has  been  prepared  and  is  given  herewith.  The  two  courses  are 
alike  except  in  a  few  particulars  relating  to  the  technical  phases  of 
their  work.  The  main  difference  arises  from  the  substitution  of  agri- 
culture for  horticulture,  but  there  is  another  difference  due  to  the  fact 
that  agriculture  is  a  much  broader  subject  than  horticulture.  In 
consequence  of  this  difference  a  larger  percentage  of  required  work  in 
agriculture  seems  to  be  necessary  to  give  the  students  a  general 
knowledge  of  the  subject  before  specialization  is  begun. 

Thus,  as  shown  by  the  tables  outlining  the  subjects  included 
under  horticulture  and  agriculture,  respectively,  in  the  horticultural 
course  there  is  a  total  of  468  hours  of  required  horticulture  and  252 
hours  of  optional  work  in  pomology,  olericulture,  floriculture,  land- 
scaping, and  rural  engineering,  while  in  the  agricultural  course  there 
are  540  hours  of  required  agriculture  and  only  180  hours  of  optional 
work  to  be  selected  from  courses  in  farm  crops,  animal  husbandry, 
dairying,  horticulture,  forestry,  agricultural  engineering,  rural  eco- 
nomics, and  plant  breeding. 

[Cir.  91] 


10 


Syllabus  of  a  four-year  secondary  course  in  agriculture. 

REQUIRED  SUBJECTS. 


Subjects. 

Units,  a 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours,  b 

First 
year. 

Second 
year. 

Third 
year. 

Fourth 
year. 

English 

3 

2 
4 
2 

5 
5 

5 

3 

2 

540 

180 
180 
180 
180 
180 
3fi0 

Algebra 

Geometry 

5 

2 

3 

5 

Chemistry 

5 

French  or  German 

5 
5 
5 

5 

Agriculture 

5 

5 

5  !      720 

Total 

U               „  ,       „„„ 

2,880 

a  A  unit  consists  of  180  hours,  i.  e.,  5  hours  per  week  for  36  weeks. 

b Throughout  this  syllabus  recitation  periods  of  45  minutes  are  designated  as  "hours".  In  laboratory 
practice,  demonstrations,  bookkeeping,  surveying  and  agricultural  practice  an  hour  is  a  double  period  or 
90  minutes. 

ELECTIVE  SUBJECTS. 


Subjects. 

Units. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

% 
% 
1 
1 

1  hour  1  year 

36 
36 

72 
90 
144 
180 
180 

do 

Plane  trigonometry  and  surveying. 

Botany,  chemistry,  or  physics 

Agriculture,  horticulture,  or  ele- 
mentary forestry,  c 

do 

1  to  5  hours  third  and  fourth 
years. 

c  These  are  in  addition  to  the  720  hours  of  required  subjects  in  agriculture  and  are  offered  to  permit  spe- 
cialization in  some  branch  of  agriculture  by  students  not  intending  to  take  a  college  course  in  agriculture. 

Hours  devoted  to  subjects  included  under  "Agriculture"  in  the  course  of  study. 

REQUIRED  SUBJECTS  FOR  ALL  STUDENTS  IN  AGRICULTURE. 


Subjects. 

Units. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

First 
year. 

Second 
year. 

Third 
year. 

Fourth 
year. 

The  plant  and  its  environment. . 

2/5 
"/• 

% 

2/s 

2 
1 
1 
1 

72 
36 
72 
36 
72 
72 
36 
72 
72 

180 

Agricultural  engineering 

Horticulture  and  forestry 

Economic  entomology 

1 

2 
2 

1 

Animal  husbandry 

%\ 

Vs 

Diseases  of  plants  and  animals  . 

!/a 

2 

2 

3 

1 

Subjects  to  be  added  from  the 

2 

Total 

720 

[Cir.  91] 


11 


Hours  devoted  to  subjects  included  under  "  Agriculture"  in  the  course  of  study — Cont'd. 

A.— SUBJECTS  FROM  WHICH  SELECTION  MUST  BE  MADE  TO  MAKE  UP  THE  REQUIRED 
720  HOURS  IN  AGRICULTURE. 


Subjects. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total  hours. 

Third 
year. 

Fourth 
year. 

Farm  crops 

2 
2 
2 
2 

2 

2 
2 
2 

72  or  144 

72  or  144 

72  or  144 

72 

72 

72  . 

36  or  72 

36  or  108 

Animal  hnshanrlrv,  .  .  . 

Dairving ...:  .. 

Horticulture 

Forestry 

Agricultural  engineering 

2 

1 
2 

Rural  economics 

1 

Plant  breeding    ... 

Note.— From  these  subjects  36  to  180  hours  may  also  be  selected  as  part  of  the  electives  provided  for  in 
the  course  in  agriculture,  page  10. 


Syllabus  of  a  two-year  secondary  course  in  agriculture. 

Subjects. 

Hours  per  week. 

Total 
hours. 

First 
year. 

Second 
year. 

5 

2 
2 

252 
72 
36 
180 
180 
720 

Algebra 

Bookkeeping 

i' 

5 

5 

11 

Agriculture 

9 

Total 

1,440 

Recommended  for  publication. 

A.  C.  True,  Director. 
Publication  authorized. 

James  Wilson,  Secretary  of  Agriculture. 

Washington,  D.  C,  October  6,  1909. 

[Cir.  91] 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  08927  8682 


